Valve and operating means.



No. 673,573. Patented May 7, I90I.

` T. BARRUW.'

VALVE AND OPERATING MEANS.

(Application led Oct. 29, 1900.)

Illu Model.)

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UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS BARROW, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHISHOLM AND MOORE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VALVE AND OPERATING MEANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 673,573, dated May 7, 190i.

Application filed October 29, 1900l Serial No. 34,731. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS BARROW, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Reversing-Valves for Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying draw- 1o ings.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a Very simple and eiiicient valve which shall be perfectly balanced, so as not to have excessive pressure on its seat. The

valve is particularly adaptable for a reversing-valve, such as may be. used for governing pneumatic engines, for example.

A further object of my invention is to provide the valve with efficient means for operating it and for giving it a tendency to return to off position.

The invention comprehends, broadly, a hollow or tubular valve movable with reference to its seat and adapted to have the operating uid under pressure in communication with its interior, the valve-wall being apertured to cooperate with ports in the seat. More particularly, the invention consists of a re'- versing-valve made on this principle, there within a separate tubular bushing and rig' idly securing the bushing within an enginecasting I may make the ports more accurately and cheaply. This is another feature of my invention. I have devised a very simple method for operating the valve, consisting of gear-teeth carried by it and a pinion meshing therewith rigid with an actuating-shaft, while rigid with this shaft also is a pair of toes, against which bears the head of a springpressed plunger, whereby the shaft,and hence the pinion and hence the valve, is given a tendency to return to a definite intermediate position. These features are also a part of my invention. 5o This invention may thus be conveniently characterized as consisting of the combinabeing passages through the valve for controlling the admission and other passages formed tion of parts hereinafter specified, and delinitely set out in the claims. p

The drawings fully illustrate my invention.

Figure l is a front elevation of a suitable plate adapted to carry passages for the operating uid and having my improved valve and its operating mechanism. The form or destination of the passages through this plate is immaterial to the present invention. The plate for purposes of illustration may be considered a cover-plate for a pair of oscillating engines contained within a casing, such as are shown in the application of Mr. E. Y. Moore, No. 701,118, filed January 4, 1899, for an oscillating engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section through the Valve and its casing at right angles to Fig. l, and Fig. 3 is a vertical central section through the valve parallel with Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the valve and its casing, being on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the valve itself, and Fig. a perspective view of the bushing therefor.

As shown, the valve consists of a cylindrical body A, having a hollow interior a, a pair of openings d and a2, passing from the interior to the exterior of said valve, and in the exterior of said valve an intermediate recess a3, which does not connect with the interior. The valve is most conveniently constructed by being made open at each end and `having one end at least plugged. As shown,

'this is the upper end, which is closed by the v85 plug a4.

The valve is in suitable free communication with the operating fluid, which may come to its interior under pressure through a suitable opening placed wherever desired. The drawings illustrate it as coming into the lower end of the valve, and such is a very convenient method when a flexible supply-tube, as B, is employed, allowing sufficient movement of the valve.

By bringing the operating fluid into the inte rior of the valve the valve becomes balanced, as the pressure is substantially equal in all directions, and there is no grinding of the valve on its seat, as results when the pressure is outside of the valve. The openings u. a2 through the valve do to a slight extent IOO reduce the surface on that side, increasing the resultant pressure on the side opposite the seat; but this unbalancing is so small as to be immaterial.

The valve is encompassed within a surrounding seat, which has admission and eX- haust ports, as will be readily understood. In the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings the valve is at the olf position, While by being shifted in one direction it-connects one of such ports c' or c2 with the exhaust c and the other with the interior of the valve, and hence with the admission-pipe. l

The cover-plate C, with the passages o o c2 therein and with the cylindrical boss c3 for containing the valve, may be conveniently made in the form of a single casting. In doing this, however, it is difticult to machine the ports and it isimpracticable to cast them as accurately as necessary. To overcome this difficulty, I seat Within the cylindrical boss c3 a tubular bushing D, which has the port-openings CZ d cl2 machined therein as a'ccurately as desired. This bushing fits the the boss c3 tightly and encompasses the valve with the snugness desired. Thus the passages may be cored out only as accurately as convenient in the casting O, and thereafter all that is necessary is to ream out the cylindrical boss c3 to contain the bushing, which is of course a very simple operation. Similarly the bushing needs simply to be reamed out in the interior and turned off on the exterior and slotted, which latter can be done very conveniently from the exterior.

If the valve is movable longitudinally of its seat, which is the form shown herein, it is most economical of space to have the moving mechanism engage the valve at some point which is within its seat rather than extend the valve for this purpose lbeyond the seat. I accomplish this as follows:

On one side of the valve one-quarter Way around from the position of the openings a" a2 in the valve I form a rack, preferably by cutting gear-teeth a5 into the body of the valve. Opposite these teeth I form an opening cl3 through the bushing D and a substantially alined opening c4 through the cylindrical boss c3. Through these openings and into engagement with theteeth d5 extends the gear-segment E, which is suitably jourstruction maybe very conveniently installed by rst rigidly connecting the operating-lever and the gear-segment, as stated, and then passing the loose stud 4F through the hub of the latter and then the bracket c5 and securing it by a pin or otherwise on the inner side of the bracket. With such an arrangement as above described a pull on one end or the other of the lever G will shift the valve Ain one direction vor the other, controlling the ports accordingly. It is frequently desirable to give the valve a tendency to return to its intermediate or off position, and this I very simply provide by having a spring-pressed plunger bearing against rubbing surfaces or toes rigid with the segment E on opposite ends of this pivot, one or the other of which surfaces forces the plunger against its spring whenever the segment is turned from a central position. Such toes are preferably made on the segment itself, being shown at e' e in the drawings. Against them bears the T- head h of the plunger H, which is jonrnaled in a tubular recess c6 in the bracket c5 and is pressed toward the segment by a spring J within the recess and between the end of the plunger and a plug K, closing the recess and held by suitable means, as by the screw 7c. This centering device is very simple and very conveniently installed. W'ith the screw lr, the plug K, and the spring J removed the plunger is simply placed within its seat and the segment E secured in place, and thereafter the spring is placed behind the plunger and the plug K and screw la put in position. Whichever way the segment turns it must force the plunger against its spring, and thus the valve is normally held at its off position, requiring a force of a predetermined amount to release it, dependent upon the strength of the spring J.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A' casing having 'a tubular valve-seat which is open at its opposite ends combined with a tubular valve adapted to-occupy said seat and extend beyond either end thereof the ends of said valve being closed to the atmosphere surrounding the seat but there being means for communicating operating iuid to the interior of the valve, substantially as described.

2. A tubular valve which has a cylindrical exterior and a hollow interior and has a pair of port-openings leading through its cylindrical wall and an exhaust-recess on the outer side of such wall, combined with a tubular seat therefor which has a pair of admissionports and an exhaust-port coperating with said openings and recess, said valve being closed at at least one end and having the other end also closed to the atmosphere surrounding the casing, there being means for communicating operating huid to the interior of the valve, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a hollow movable valve having ports through its wall, a seat having ports cooperating therewith, and a movable pipe connected directly to said valve and adapted to supply operating lluid thereto, substantially as described'.

4. In combination, a hollow slide-valve having ports through its Wall, a seat having ports IOO IIO

coperating therewith, a iiexible admissionpipe connected directly to said valve, and means for normally holding said valve in midposition, substantially as described.

5. A casing having a tubular valve-seat open at at least one end, there being ports formed in the wall of said casing, combined with a tubular valve occupying said seat and having cooperating ports through its wall, one end of said valve being closed and the other end of the valve extending beyond and through the said open end of the seat and being adapted to have an admission-pipe secured to it, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a casing providing a hollow cylindrical valve-seat with ports terminating thereat, of a tubular valve adapted to occupy said seat, said valve being constructed of a tube plugged at one and carrying screw-threadsV at its other end for the attachment of an admission-pipe, said valve having suitable port-openings, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a tubular valve having a hollow interior and an opening for communicating to said interior from the exterior and port-openings, a bushing embracing said valve and having port-openings through it coperating with the valve, and acasingsnugly embracing said bushing and having ports continuing those of the bushing, substantially as described.

8. A cover-plate and a valve-box made in one integral casting, said box having a cylindrical recess with admission and exhaust ports leading therefrom, combined with a tubular cylindrical bushing occupying said recess and having ports more or less nearly alining with those of the casting, and a tubular valve occupying said bushing, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a tubular valve, an embracing-seat therefor, a rack carried by said valve, there being an opening-through the surrounding seat opposite said rack, a gear occupying said opening and engaging said teeth, and means for operatingsaid gear, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a casing having a tubular recess and admission and exhaust passages terminating therein, a tubular valve Within said recess for controlling said passages, said valve being adapted to receive the operating fluid into its interior and having a pair of ad mission-ports extending through its wall, and a recess on its exterior for governing the exhaust, said valve carrying a rack, there being an opening through the casing opposite said rack, an oscillatable gear carried by said casing and extending through the opening therein into engagement with the teeth,and means for oscillating said gear, substantially as described.

1l. The combination witha valve, a pivoted oscillatable member engaging the same and adapted to shift it, engageable surfaces rigid with said member on opposite sides of its pivot, a plunger engaging said surfaces, and a spring pressing said plunger toward the same, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a valve, a pivoted oscillatable member engaging the same and adapted to shift it, a pair of separated toes rigid with said member on opposite sides of its pivot, a plunger having a T-head engaging said toes, and a spring passing said plunger toward said toes, substantially as described.

13. The combination with a longitudinallyshiftable valve carrying a toothed rack, of a suitablyjournaled gear-segment engaging said rack, and carrying a pair of rubbing-toes on opposite sides of its pivot, combined with a plunger having a T-head engaging said toes, and a spring pressing said plunger in such direction, substantially as described.

14. The combination of a casing having a cylindrical recess and having ports terminating therein, a cylindrical tubular valve within said casing arranged to shift longitudinally to govern said ports, a longitudinal rack formed within the exterior surface of the cylindrical valve, a suitably-journaled gear eX- tending through an opening in the casing and engaging such rack, whereby the engagement of the gear prevents the valve turning and the oscillation of the gear may shift the valve, substantially as described l5. The combination of a casing having a tubular recess and passages terminating in said recess, a longitudinally-shiftable valve occupying said recess, a longitudinal rack carriedby said valve, a gear-segment engaging said rack, said gear-segment being pivoted by a stud carriedv by said casing, a plunger journaled in a tubular recess at right angles to the tubular recess occupied by the valve,

IOO

said plunger having a head engaging said segment on opposite sides of its pivot, and a spring Within the last-mentioned recess pressing said plunger toward the valve, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS BARROW. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. BATES, H. M. WISE.

IIO 

